Villanova University

G10-08207_SummerMag:Layout 1 6/15/10 10:29 AM Page 1 Summer 2010 villanova university Hands-On Learning Engineering for Life Sustainability: Servant Leaders Policy and Practice G10-08207_SummerMag:Layout 1 6/15/10 3:52 PM Page 2 Summer 2010 Drosdick Endowed Dean of Engineering Contents Dr. Gary A. Gabriele Message from the Dean 1 Director of External Relations Burton H. Lane Writer and Editor Hands-On Learning 2 Carly Keeny The College’s new First-Year Curriculum, among the Writers most innovative freshman engineering experiences in Debbie Clayton the country, hinges on experiential multidisciplinary Christopher Murray learning. Designer Peter Volz Design Photo Credits Sustainability: Policy and Practice 5 With the launch of the new master’s degree program in Aurora Imaging Company: sustainable engineering – among the first in the country – pages 1-4; students with solar panel, p. 7; and the Villanova Center for the Advancement of Dr. Noelle Comolli with student, p. 9; Sustainability in Engineering, the College puts the University’s Dr. Qianhong Wu with students and commitment to sustainability into practice for students. Dr. Rosalind Wynne, p. 11 Havener, Lauren: Student with child p. 13; p. 14; and bottom photo, p. 15 Engineering for Life 8 Johnston, Barbara: cover; p. 5; The field of bioengineering is growing in popularity and graduate students, p. 7; importance. The College’s Cellular and Molecular Dr. Jens Karlsson, p. 9; Bioengineering Research Group discovers new ways to Dr. Metin Duran and graduate student, p. 10 improve quality of life. Kotter, Rory: p. 12; group shots p. 13 ; and top photo, p. 15 Nogueras, Paola: Dr. William Kelly and student, p. 8; Dr. Ani Ural and student, p. 10 Servant Leaders 12 Welsh, John: Dr. Robert Traver, p. 6; pages 16-19 Engineering students put their technical skills to use to help communities in developing countries in Latin America. Questions or Comments Send to [email protected] Address Updates Life-Saving Solar Solutions 16 Send to [email protected] Engineering faculty and students help expand the impact of the Solar Suitcase News & Events Visit www.Engineering.Villanova.edu Under the Sea 18 Underwater robotics competition held at Villanova steers kids toward engineering On the Cover: Dr. Metin Duran, Associate Professor of Connect with the College of Engineering 20 Civil and Environmental Engineering, and 10 easy ways to strengthen your ties to the College Lauren Glose CE ’11 in the Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory G10-08207_SummerMag:Layout 1 6/15/10 10:29 AM Page 3 Message from the Dean Not long ago, Villanova’s College of Engineering articulated its goal to become a premier engineering program in the country, while maintaining the University’s Catholic values. In pursuing this goal, the College committed to a five-year strategic plan for achieving our chief aspirations to build a reputation for innovative curricula, teaching, and research, and to lead in the development of intellectual and humanitarian engineers. Concurrently, we resolved to measure our success against these goals by the success of our alumni and the view of our peers. After just three years of progress, we have made great strides toward fulfilling many of our goals: • At the College level, we’ve increased the diversity of our student body and faculty, with a goal to exceed national averages for underrepresented groups in engineering. We have added new opportunities for students and faculty to develop unique STEM education experiences for middle and high school students in our community. We have also strengthened ties to alumni and industry partners, whose ongoing committment continues to open doors for our students. This fall, we’ll introduce yet another way to connect our students with the professional engineering community – a state-of-the-art Multidisciplinary Design Laboratory. • In Undergraduate Studies, we successfully completed the inaugural year of our new First-Year Curriculum, among the most innovative freshman engineering experiences in the country. Our departments now offer revised curricula to allow for more electives and minors – including the new bioengineering minor (developed with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) and the entrepreneurship minor (through collaboration with the Villanova School of Business). We’ve also increased participation in summer research experiences and internships. • In Graduate Studies and Research, we’ve reinvigorated our master’s of science degree programs and launched one of the nation’s first M.S. degree programs in sustainable engineering. We’ve solidified the foundation for Ph.D. studies, which is growing quickly, with nearly 30 candidates currently enrolled. And finally, we’ve launched a new multidisciplinary research center – the Villanova Center for the Advancement of Sustainability in Engineering. Read on to see how these strategic initiatives came to life in the 2009-2010 academic year. We’re pleased with the progress we’ve made but look forward to addressing the challenges that remain and to aligning our goals with the University’s new strategic plan. To read more about the College’s achievements or University’s strategic plan, visit www.Villanova.edu. Sincerely, Gary A. Gabriele, PhD Drosdick Endowed Dean of the College of Engineering 1 G10-08207_SummerMag:Layout 1 6/15/10 10:29 AM Page 4 HANDS-ON LEARNING New First-Year Curriculum Promotes Experiential Education by Debbie Clayton Before Ian Dardani arrived at Villanova as a freshman engineering student last fall, he was pretty sure he’d decided Freshman students worked in teams on multidisciplinary projects, including one focused on the aerodynamics of which engineering discipline was right vehicles, reducing drag, and saving energy. for him. But halfway through second Dardani credits his decision largely engineering. Just being around so many semester, he changed his mind. Now, to the new hands-on First-Year Curriculum different kinds of professors really gave me a he’s confident that mechanical program at the College of Engineering. The good feel for what each discipline does.” engineering holds a future for him. program requires freshmen to participate in The brainchild of Dr. Gerard (Jerry) Jones, two seven-week mini projects by mid second Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, semester. By exposing students to multiple and a multidisciplinary faculty committee, disciplines within each project, the new pro - the new First-Year Curriculum evolved from a gram strives to solidify career paths earlier in similar program Dr. Jones championed as a the college experience. mechanical engineering professor in the early “I think this is definitely a good direction,” 1990s. Designed for mechanical engineering says Dardani, who participated in engineering sophomores, the earlier hands-on program fairs and learned technical drawing and Auto - emphasized reverse engineering. For various CAD software during high school in Syracuse, reasons, the first program ended, but Dr. Jones N.Y. “I elected to do the SMARTBEAM never stopped dreaming of a workable experi - project second semester and found the math ential learning model. and science behind it very satisfying. It “I knew that hands-on – or what we call incorporated civil, mechanical, and electrical experiential – learning worked well with 2 | Villanova Engineering G10-08207_SummerMag:Layout 1 6/15/10 10:29 AM Page 5 The Engineering Gene Engineering blood runs deep in Maureen McManus’s family in Harrison, N.Y. Her father is an engineer and both of her older sisters are engineering students. “My mom’s an English teacher, but I didn’t get those genes,” she jokes. Knowing that she, too, wanted to be an engineer, McManus chose Villanova Univer - sity for its small class sizes and its wide variety of labs. But she didn’t expect the new First-Year Curriculum program when she started as a freshman in 2009. “It’s much better working in the labs and talking one-on-one with the professors than just sitting in the classroom,” she says. Student teams built dialysis filter units for “The Artificial Kidney” project. “I know students who really weren’t sure what type of engineering they wanted to do. educating engineers,” explains Dr. Jones, have faith and sit in the corner until sophomore who has been at Villanova for 23 years, six year, the new program engages them in their This way, they got to test out what they of them as Chair of the Department of first semester.” liked before making the decision.” Mechanical Engineering and the last three as McManus, on the other hand, knew she Associate Dean. “We wanted to build hands- Core Course and Mini Projects wanted to go into mechanical engineering on, multidisciplinary projects into the fresh - Breaking the two-semester sequence into four before arriving at Villanova. Her two mini man curriculum wherever we could. At the parts, the new program begins with a core projects – aerodynamics and acoustics – same time, students need some basic funda - course the first quarter. “It starts with lecture simply confirmed that choice. “The new mentals before they start working on projects. but then every week students do a micro proj - program is amazing!” she adds. Otherwise, all they’d be doing is tinkering – ect on a number of multidisciplinary topics,” not that tinkering is bad, but it’s not an adds Dr. Jones, who continues to do research effective learning tool.” and teach mechanical engineering. “Students getting into the lab,” he says. “They really Villanova’s College of Engineering reten - usually worked on micro projects outside the relished that they got to build things. They tion figures – defined as those remaining in classroom. For example, they studied momen - actually made concrete and cut beams for the engineering after freshman year –average an tum and vectors utilizing pool balls at the acoustics project. Getting them that excited impressive 90 percent, compared to roughly Connelly Center pool table.

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